


Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

by fadedink



Series: Days of Christmas - 2013 [15]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 18:45:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedink/pseuds/fadedink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Chuck's first winter in Alaska.  The fact that he complains about the cold is a surprise to no one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> The 15th Day of Christmas for [this prompt](http://insmallpackages.livejournal.com/7119.html?thread=1664207#t1664207) at because I kinda fell in love with it.

Chuck Hansen is 21 the first time he steps foot outside of Australia.

The day he receives his passport, he purchases a plane ticket. It doesn't cost nearly as much as he expected. The entire time, Herc hovers over him, making random comments and asking if Chuck is sure he wants to do this.

Exactly as Chuck had expected.

The day before his flight, Chuck packs a bag. And tells his dad for the umpteenth time that it'll be okay, they have telephones there, he'll call, Raleigh's not going to murder him in his sleep after raping him.

Herc gives him a dubious look, but he agrees to drive Chuck to the airport.

*

The flight is long. And boring. Chuck finishes his book and mentally kicks himself for not bringing _The Stand_.

That would've lasted the entire fifteen hour flight to Los Angeles.

Instead, he's stuck with airline magazines, his iPod, and staring out the window because there's not a movie on he wants to watch.

He sleeps the entire six hours it takes to get from Los Angeles to Anchorage.

*

Raleigh's waiting at baggage claim when Chuck gets there. For a few seconds, they just stare at each other.

Then Raleigh smiles.

And Chuck has seen that smile a million times. Three years of Skype sessions have him well acquainted with it.

But the reality of it is far, far more beautiful.

All Chuck can do is laugh when Raleigh sweeps him into a hug that lifts him off his feet.

Raleigh hugs with his entire body. Chuck likes that.

*

The cold is more intense than Chuck imagined. It burns his nose, sears his lungs, and he just shakes his head violently when Raleigh asks if he's okay.

"You didn't say it was cold enough to freeze my balls off, mate," Chuck grumbles as Raleigh shoves him into the truck.

"I did tell you to pack warm," Raleigh reminds him, slipping into the cab and dragging a blast of Arctic air with him.

Chuck gives him a dirty look and shivers.

*

It should be illegal for there to be this much snow on the ground at one time.

Chuck stands at the window and looks out at the vast expanse of white. He's bundled in one of Raleigh's heavier sweaters, jeans, and two pairs of socks.

He debates putting on a third pair, because he just might have frostbite on his toes.

Raleigh laughs when he mentions that.

*

"Seriously, it's cold enough out here to freeze the balls off a brass Buddha," Chuck says.

"Does Buddha have balls?" Raleigh asks as he curls his mittened hand around Chuck's.

"What sort of question is that?"

Raleigh shrugs before pulling Chuck into another hug. It's enough to relax Chuck and stop his shivers before Raleigh's icy nose is pressed against the side of his neck.

That's the moment Chuck knows it's not Raleigh murdering him Herc should have worried about.

*

"I can't feel my feet," Chuck says, stamping around in the three pair of socks _and_ fur-lined boots Raleigh had bought him. "Or my hands. And my nose would be running, but I'm pretty sure it's all frozen."

"That's kinda gross," Raleigh laughs.

He receives a face full of snow for that.

*

"You know this isn't natural, right?"

"Sure it is," Raleigh replies. He's far too blithe for Chuck's liking. "Hockey players do it all the time. So do figure skaters."

"And they're all barking mad," Chuck replies. He looks at his feet – or rather, at the ice skates covering his feet – and tries to figure out just how he let Raleigh talk him into this. "It's _cold_."

"Well, this isn't exactly something you can do when it's hot."

Chuck would push Raleigh over, but he's pretty sure he can't stand up on his own.

*

Chuck refuses to leave the house for three days after the ice skating incident.

Granted, he did sprain his ankle pretty badly (and how Herc had laughed at that when Chuck had told him) and the doctor had said he needed to stay off it and keep it propped up, so it's not like he doesn't have a valid excuse.

And there's a blizzard going on out there.

There's no way Chuck can be convinced that they won't have snow up to the eaves before it's done.

Raleigh just smiles, cuddles up to him beneath the thick duvet, and presses soft kisses to Chuck's neck and shoulder. "It might not be so bad," he says between kisses, "to be snowed in together."

Chuck agrees. But only a little.

*

Raleigh drops the bundle of firewood into the bin, then tugs off his hat and scarf. His face is red from the cold, but his eyes shine when he looks at Chuck.

And Chuck can't help himself.

Raleigh's grinning when Chuck kisses him, so their teeth click together, but that's okay. And his lips are chapped, but Chuck decides that's okay, too.

But the cold fingers that slip beneath his sweater to brush his stomach are most definitely not okay.

And they absolutely do _not_ make Chuck squeak like a girl.

*

"Trying to tell me something?" Chuck asks, gesturing towards the television as _Love, Actually_ plays.

"Maybe," Raleigh says, kissing Chuck's temple.

They watch the movie in silence for a while, sipping their hot chocolate. Chuck's isn't cool enough, so he scalds the tip of his tongue, but Raleigh's offer to kiss it better makes him forget the pain.

The fire, combined with the blanket that Raleigh drapes over them, makes Chuck drowsy. He misses parts of the movie as he wavers between nodding off and fighting to stay awake.

It doesn't help that Raleigh's chest makes a great pillow, his heartbeat a low _thumpthumpthump_ beneath Chuck's ear.

And when Raleigh starts to card his fingers through Chuck's hair, Chuck gives up and closes his eyes.

*

Chuck's suitcase is packed and in the bed of the truck, and he takes one last run through the house to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything.

He slams into Raleigh in the living room, snow dusting blond hair and broad shoulders, and they end up in a tangled heap of limbs on the sofa. Even though his flight is due to leave in less than three hours, Chuck doesn't want to move.

"Stay," Raleigh says, soft and serious, and his eyes add a silent _please_.

"Rals," Chuck begins, stopping only when Raleigh's lips cover his.

"Stay," Raleigh says again, his hands framing Chuck's face, his expression so open and honest that Chuck's breath catches in his throat. "Please?"

When Chuck calls Herc an hour later, he and Raleigh are curled in bed, drowsy and sated, and Raleigh's hand is resting over Chuck's heart.

Oddly enough, Herc doesn't sound the least bit surprised when Chuck says he's not coming home yet. He just laughs softly and tells Chuck to enjoy himself before adding that he'd like to meet this Raleigh Becket before Chuck makes any life altering decisions.

Raleigh looks more than a little scared at that idea.

Chuck just laughs and tugs Raleigh to him when the call ends, because Herc's going to love him. Just like Chuck does.


End file.
